Behind the Smoke Screen

Kevin investigates the online traces of a British news reporter who was kidnapped and appeared in several Islamic State propaganda videos.

Explore timely, personal stories of LGBTQI+ families who strive to build lives in their communities despite biased legislation and mounting prejudice.

A short documentary illustrating how art can influence public perception towards environmental issues. Green Patriot Posters is a highly acclaimed multimedia design campaign that challenges artists to deepen public understanding and ignite collective action in the fight against climate change. So far, it has reached five million people through print media, public space and digital culture. The film features interviews with key Green Patriot Posters contributors (Shepard Fairey, Michael Bierut, DJ Spooky, Mathilde Fallot) and its founders (The Canary Project, Dmitri Siegel).

A Deep Dive into the life of Stephen Zivkovic, the owner of the last DVD rental store in Adelaide.

Simon Intihar’s film will delight geeks, bring memories back and encourage young people to google even quicker. One thing is certain. Having seen this film many viewers will try their own skills on the digital arena. The director takes us on a nostalgic journey to the times when a talented and somewhat extravagant student could develop an international gaming phenomenon in his own room. Fifteen years later the eponymous game still has its fans. Is the creator among them, too?

Narrated by Bill Slater, this short black & white educational film is about sporting and outdoor activities on the majestic Hudson River in New York State.

What is it like to be HIV-positive in Russia? The authors of the film spent several days with the HIV-infected characters Alexandra and Olesem and made a film about how they live. This is a kind of chronicle - the characters in the frame live their lives. Moments of sadness, moments of joy. They live as they know how and as they really live.

Menhaden: The Most Important Fish in the Bay examines the role of a little-known, oily, little fish in the Chesapeake Bay. From its original concept as a classic man-versus-environment story, the film evolved to reflect the complexity of sustaining a menhaden fishery that many diverse interests depend on. The outcome: a story that seamlessly weaves together different perspectives on the menhaden fishing industry and its culture utilizing engaging personal vignettes, scientific data and creative visual storytelling techniques. Techniques include archival footage blended with cinematic live-action footage, musical performances and original, handmade animations.

In 1997, filmmaker Nic McLean shot his first documentary with Outer Banks icon Delbert Melton who was in the middle of a domestic dispute with the Town of Kill Devil Hills over persistent requests to clean up his yard.

Uplifting tale of Staten Island woman who creates modern underground railroad and rescues 2,000 dogs condemned to death in Amish Country puppy mills. The film chronicles Laura F on her weekend rescue missions to Amish Country. With her Brooklyn mom and Staten Island girl friends by her side, Laura embarks on a four-year odyssey to rescue dogs from the hellish conditions of Amish puppy mills. The film follows four of the dogs from the time their lives are spared until they are nursed back to health and placed with their forever families. We see the dogs leave the cages where they have spent their entire lives and watch these dogs, who were given up for dead, transform the lives of the people who adopt them.

Georg is an Austrian retiree whose mother witnessed the crash of an Allied B-17 near their home during World War II. When he takes up metal detecting to find the wreckage, a growing fascination leads him to embark on a heartfelt mission, not only to research the backgrounds of the American crewmembers who parachuted off the plane into enemy territory, but to locate their descendants, to bring them to his Austrian town on the 75th anniversary of the crash, to introduce them to the townspeople who helped their fathers, and to unite his town in remembrance. It’s a story of empathy, resilience, and the enduring power of human connection.

Successful model Samira Hashi makes an emotional return to Somalia, one of the most dangerous places in the world and the place she was born.

This film was originally made for the International Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT) which was held in Vancouver, Canada. Taking as an example the production and marketing of bananas and the prevailing conditions in the world market - dominated by the virtual monopoly of three multinational companies -, it is shown how as a result of this monopolistic domination, the Costa Rican State has stopped receiving equitable taxes for what that, in the end, the housing and public services offered by the country are characterized as those of an underdeveloped society. The attempt made since 1974 by a group of banana-producing countries, aimed at improving sales prices to multinationals and raising taxes; The resulting “banana war” are examples of the enormous efforts that small banana countries have to make to achieve greater justice in the prevailing market conditions.

This short film from the Perspective series highlights social and economic development in Haiti circa 1957. It depicts customs and traditions used to pass along the history of a people, and offers a look into their daily lives — lives that looks very different from their experiences today.

A married woman reflects on her painful past and wonders what she would say to her 15-year-old self if they ever met a quiet conversation between innocence and experience.

The extraordinary and storied life of Topsy, a bactrian camel, whose career spanned the military, the mines, the movies and more.

The winter pond sleeps, life beneath the surface has ceased. The rays of the frosty sun penetrate the ice crust, and fishermen release oxygen into the depths of the water through holes in the ice. Commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, this photograph reveals the beauty and richness of Czech ponds, and depicts the life of carp, from spawning and hatching, to harvesting.

While most teens spend their days in a self-absorbed haze, Simon Jackson was out in the world connecting with anyone who could help him save the spirit bear. For this, Simon became one of Time's Heroes of the Planet. It's a remarkable accomplishment for one so young, and an inspiring story for lovers of wilderness of all ages. But his devotion to the cause made him an outcast amongst his peers.

A picture of life in the Tasmanian town of Launceston in the mid 1960s.

Life in Australia: Hobart shows scenes illustrating daily life, industry, recreation and the tourist features of Hobart, Tasmania.